I've woken up feeling overwhelmed a lot this month. Between constant push notifications alerting me about the downfall of the economy due to Covid-19, and not knowing when I'll be able to see my friends and family in person again, it's a strange time to be a human on this rock. If I'm not overwhelmed, I'm some other adjective: anxious, melancholy, or varying degrees of unsettled.
Last Saturday, the stress really got to me, so I tossed my phone on the bed, left my Apple Watch on its charger, and went to the basement, where I made a cozy nest of blankets and put on some headphones. I proceeded to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons on my Nintendo Switch for the next 12 hours straight. It was the best thing I've done for my mental health this year.
When the going gets tough, it's only natural to seek solace wherever you can. For myself and many of the staff here at WIRED, that place is on our respective islands in the new Animal Crossing.
Animal Crossing has always been therapeutic. It's not like other games. There are no battles, hard-and-fast rules, time limits, or big bosses to defeat. Like Stardew Valley, your job is to chill and make a pleasant little life for yourself. Your daily tasks involve picking fruit, fishing, redecorating your home, and helping out your neighbors. Or, you can spend your time customizing furniture to decorate your house or changing your clothes. It's up to you. Sure, you typically owe a greedy raccoon a few thousand Bells (the currency in this world), but he doesn't pester you into paying your rent or charge interest.
It seems only fitting that after eight years of waiting, Nintendo's newest Animal Crossing came out now.
In real life, your friends need to be at least 6 feet away, but in Animal Crossing, they can hang out on your island for hours at a time—no social distancing required. Socializing is very low-pressure; you can run around and bonk your friends in the head with nets, or use a more robust third-party service like Discord to chat while you and your pals fish together.
The same low-pressure theme applies to any number of in-game features. The biggest problems you face are things like deciding between whether to slingshot presents out of the sky or to hit rocks for money. Every day, you'll be met with new items in your island's shops, new fossils to dig up and identify, and new surprises waiting in trees you can shake.
New Horizons adds a lot of fresh gameplay elements to the series, too. Most noticeably, your character now has a Tom Nook-branded smartphone that can be used to access various apps. There's an in-game camera that offers some pretty powerful photography options, and it only takes a few clicks to share screenshots from your Switch to Twitter or Facebook.
The DIY Recipes from Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp are also here. While roaming around your island, you'll find crafting materials, such as tree branches and stones. You can use them to make tools, home decor, and special seasonal objects. Yes, having your fishing rod break while you're far away from home can get annoying. Luckily, it's easy to craft a new one so you can get back to catching that elusive coelacanth!
Part of what makes coronavirus-related anxiety tough is the feeling of helplessness. I can't predict the future, manufacture face masks, find a vaccine, or convince my neighbors to stay home, so instead, my stress often spirals.
Animal Crossing offers a semblance of control. In this world, my contributions may be small, but I can see my island slowly transform for the better. Flowers I plant soon blossom. Fruits I bury grow into trees. After speaking with them frequently, relationships with my NPC neighbors begin to bloom. Seeing the progress is a reminder that my actions have meaning, even when they're small, and virtual.
New Horizons also lets you control how you express yourself. Every humanoid player has the same delightfully rounded figure, with a slightly chubby belly and little balls for hands. There are a wide range of skin tone choices—something older games were sorely lacking. Gender, too, is in your control; when you first create your character, you're met with binary options, but every player ultimately has access to the same clothing, hairstyles, and accessories. You can alter your gender presentation at any time. No NPCs will gender you, either. They'll simply refer to you as your name.
Like life, the world of Animal Crossing doesn't always feel fair. You'll have to pay your capitalist overlord Tom Nook and grind for bells to complete projects around town. You might get stung by a tarantula or scorpion if they sneak up on you. Your neighbors will get into fights.
The overall feeling of the game, though, is one of acceptance. If you neglect your island, it'll be full of weeds when you return, and your neighbors will miss you fiercely. However, when you decide to come back (and you will come back), you'll be met with open arms like you never left. Every day feels familiar, like your favorite childhood security blanket.
Lately, I've needed a home away from home. Animal Crossing: New Horizons gave me that.
If you're new to the Switch or gaming, but want to dive in while you're stuck at home, here's everything you want to have on-hand to play. Due to the ongoing shipping shortage of basically everything, some of these items are hard to find. If you need something that's out of stock, we encourage you to keep checking back or trying other stores. You may also have luck on eBay.
If you buy something using the links in our stories, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Here’s how this works.
Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch Lite. Stuck on which console to choose? Check this article out.
Samsung 128 GB MicroSD Card for $20: The Switch console's onboard memory capacity is pretty small. We suggest beefing it up with extra storage.
Nintendo Switch Online Membership for $20: This is needed to access the social features in the game. Be sure to opt for the $35 Family Membership if more than one person will be playing in your house.
Amiibo figures or cards: Eventually, you will be able to invite characters to your island using Amiibo figurines. You may be able to find these for cheap at your local game store (if it's open) rather than purchasing them online.
Updated March 28: A previous version of the story erroneously stated that characters could change their names. You cannot change your name after you create your character.
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